Melissa Gasnick-Cloeter, Business Blogger

About Me:

Melissa Gasnick Cloeter is President & Founder of Own It Ventures, a business network for women entrepreneurs to market their companies and products to Angel Investors, Lending Institutions, Media and Retail Buyers. She launched Own It Ventures after a successful series of conferences called Entrepreneur Expose' and her consulting company, WINC- The Women’s Initiative Network & Connection.
Ms. Cloeter’s career includes Management, Sales, Marketing and Business Development for Kellogg’s, M&M/MARS, Span America, a family business, and a professional woman’s publication.
In March 2011, Own It Ventures was recognized by the New Jersey State General Assembly with a Formal Resolution, recognizing the efforts by the company to support women entrepreneurs in New Jersey. In 2010, Ms. Cloeter was named as one of the Best 50 Women in Business in New Jersey. She is a frequent speaker for organizations and events including the 2010 Governor’s Conference for Women, The Women of AT&T, The Women’s Fund of New Jersey, Jersey Battered Women’s Shelter, and the United Way- Women’s Leadership Counsel of Somerset County. She has served on numerous Board of Directors, is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and currently resides in Hackettstown, New Jersey. The mother of two boys, a college football fan and an avid golfer.

I read a great blog on the Harvard Business Review by Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D. titled, "Nine Things Successful People Do Differently." Her nine suggestions, I believe, can help all of us attain business and personal success. They are as follows: Full story »

What is in a name? It can mean the difference between success and failure. As an entrepreneur, naming your company is an important, critical step and sorting through potential names can be a long and tedious process. Full story »

The number one obstacle most entrepreneurs face is lack of capital funds. The following are some money-ask information and tips for entrepreneurs and small business owners, including some important factors Angel Investors, Venture Capitalists and lending institutions consider... Full story »

As Memorial Weekend and cookout invitations approach, what food to serve or bring is always a dilemma. As you peruse favorite recipes, please consider buying products made by a woman-owned or minority-owned business. Full story »

Keeping up with the Kardashians- meet Keeping Up with New Jersey Women Business Owners. This week, we are catching up with Lassus Wherley. The firm has been delivering Fee-Only wealth management services since 1985. Full story »

Tired of the cold? I sure am! Thus, today’s blog entry has me drooling and ready to slather on the sunscreen. We were recently virtually introduced to Erin Visalli, founder of Relax Concierge. Like most women entrepreneurs, Erin started her company based upon her passion and life experience. Full story »

After seeing a need for relaxation in their own lives, the women at the forefront of the Massage Envy group in New Jersey opened the doors to their own day spas with the hopes of giving other hard-working women like themselves the gift of relaxation. Out of the 31 Massage Envy locations in the New Jersey area, almost half are owned by women who were looking to leave their corporate jobs. The following are a couple of Massage Envy testimonials: Full story »

With the new year upon us, we're wildly optimistic about the future for entrepreneurship in this country. As we have said in the past, we believe that small business is the engine of change which can successfully drive our economy forward, so we love running across editorials projecting a good year for entrepreneurs. Full story »

For some attendees, our last Entrepreneur Expose´ proved to be an eye-opening experience to their businesses. One such entrepreneur is Kathleen Fitzpatrick of Bundt Blessings from Morristown, NJ, winner of “Best Start-Up Business” Full story »

At our last Entrepreneur Expose, we had the pleasure of meeting Deborah Olivo Franqui and watching her declared winner of “Best Media Pitch” category. Her company, Aromatic Therapy LLC, was created to manufacture and distribute VidaAire, an all-natural sanitizer. Full story »

The three huge obstacles facing women entrepreneurs is: Funding, Exposure and Distribution. On October 9, 2010, you will have the opportunity to pitch your business to angel investors, the media, and retail buyers in ”Behind the Curtain“ to conquer those obstacles. Full story »

If you have been feeling stuck in your life, career or business, you need to be at Dolce in Basking Ridge, NJ on October 9, 2010. Like previous Entrepreneur Expose' events, we've scheduled a full day of inspiration, information and networking to provide female entrepreneurs with all the tools they need to succeed. Full story »

We are pleased to announce and very excited that Genevieve Bos, co-founder of PINK Magazine, the nation's only magazine, website and events firm designed exclusively for professional women, will be a keynote speaker at our next Entrepreneur Expose at Dolce in Basking Ridge on October 9th, 2010. Full story »